Islamabad High Court During the hearing of the case regarding the release and repatriation of Aafia Siddiqui, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq remarked that “Let history write that an American lawyer fought the case of Dr. Fawzia in the American court for free, but the government of Pakistan American court I was nowhere.’
On Monday, the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in the court of Islamabad High Court judge Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Pakistan The extradition petition was heard.
The court was told that Aafia Siddiqui’s sister-in-law Fauzia Siddiqui has filed a mercy appeal to the US President through a lawyer in the United States since 2020.
Fauzia Siddiqui’s American lawyer Clive Smith appeared before the court through video link.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq said that Clive Smith tried to go to Afghanistan regarding the case of Aafia Siddiqui, none of the government officials say we stand with Smith, I don’t understand what the government is afraid of?
Additional Attorney General Manoor Dogal told the court that ‘the government is supporting Fauzia Siddiqui on a regular basis, it takes some time when a policy level decision has to be taken.’
The court interrogated the Additional Attorney General and asked, ‘Whether you are writing to the White House in a mercy appeal petition or not, answer this.’
The Additional Attorney General told the court that ‘Government of Pakistan is doing its best, there is a new development which has to be placed before the court, the motion can be filed in the US by the American lawyer.’
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Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq inquired that if the American lawyer says that the motion can be filed, then the government will do it? Additional Attorney General Manoor Iqbal Dogal said in response that ‘then a policy decision will be made in this regard.’
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq said to the Additional Attorney General that ‘why are you not daring to file the court somewhere the government does not want? If Mr. Smith files a motion there as an American lawyer, won’t the government of Pakistan stand behind Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui’s lawyer?’
Additional Attorney General Manoor Iqbal Dogal said that ‘I apologize to the court.’
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan remarked that “Additional Attorney General, don’t apologize to the court, if Dr. Aafia comes back one day, you all should apologize to her. Let history write that an American lawyer free of charge.” Dr. Fawzia’s case was fought in the American court and the government of Pakistan was nowhere in the American court.
The government lawyer told the court that the draft of mercy appeal to the US President should be shared with us, the policy will be decided by the government only after seeing the mercy appeal draft, it needs time, the court will take two to three weeks. Give it time.’
On this, Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan remarked that ‘If you understand that this is a matter of the Army Chief’s extension, then it will be done quickly.’
The court directed Fauzia Siddiqui’s US-based lawyer Clive Smith to share the draft of Aafia Siddiqui’s mercy appeal with the Pakistani government within a week.
The court rejected the request of the Additional Attorney General to grant five weeks’ respite and adjourned the hearing till September 13, 2024.
In the last hearing, Aafia Siddiqui’s American lawyer had submitted a statement in the Supreme Court in which it was said that ‘Sindh Government handed over Aafia to ISI and ISI referred Aafia along with the children to America.’
The Ministry of Defense in its reply denied this and said that the agencies have no role in this, ISI is not involved in any of the allegations made.
Who is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui?
47-year-old Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist who graduated from America and then got her PhD, who mysteriously disappeared from Pakistan in 2003 along with her three young children, after which her presence was revealed by the American soldiers of Bagram in Afghanistan. It happened in the base.
In 2010, an American court sentenced Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to 86 years in prison for seven different charges, including the crime of attacking an American soldier, but Dr. Aafia Siddiqui denied these charges and said that she had no knowledge of firing a gun. Nor did they commit any such crime.
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2024-09-02 12:59:26
